Method and means for dressing fish



y 1944- P. DANIELSSON 2,353,654

METHOD AND MEANS FOR DRESSING FISH Filed Dec. 1, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 y 8, 1944. P. DANIELSSON 2,353,654

METHOD AND MEANS FOR DRESSING FISH Filed Dec. 1, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 July 18, 1944. P. DANIELSSON METHOD AND MEANS FOR DRESSING FISH Filed Dec. 1, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 k; Dam/1630 W} I I ll Patented July 18. 1944 2,353,654 METHOD AND liIEANS FOR DRESSING FISH Paul Danielsson, Stockholm, Sweden, assignor to Arenco Aktiebolag, a Swedish ioint-stock compan! Application December 1, 1942, Serial No. 467,498

In Sweden October 27, 1941 11 Claims. (Cl. 17-3) This invention relates to the dressing of fish, and it is an object of the invention to decapitate the fish in such manner that waste parts, such as coronal bones and part of the belly adjacent to the head of the fish are removed without the loss of any valuable parts. Another object of the invention consists in the provision of simple and otherwise improved means for decapitating the fish when advanced longitudinally.

With these and other objects not specifically set forth in view, the invention consists in the method and construction as well as novel combination which will be hereinafter fully described and then particularly pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawings- Figs. 1 and 2 are a plan view and an elevational side view, .respectively, of an embodiment of a. fish dressing machine according to the invention.

Fig. 3 is a view on an enlarged scale taken on the line III-III of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlargedplan view of some constructional features;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line V-V of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line VIVI of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 7 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the line VII-VII of Fig. 2 and illustrating the decapitating of the fish.

The fish A are successively placed on the tab I, so that their heads abut an impeller 60 of an endless conveyor 2, which moves stepwise or continuously. Thereby the belly of the fish is directed downwardly against two cooperating head cutters 3 between the overlapping cutting edges of which is left a gap 86 and the vertical angular position of which is adjustable. The conveyor 2 feeds the fish longitudinally through a guide 4, which is positioned below one end of a conveyor 8, provided with pincers 5 that are normally held apart by springs 91. The movements of the conveyors 2 and 8 are timed so that the pincers 5 coact with a curved guide bar I to close the pincers against the yielding resistance of the spring 83 and seize within the guide 4 the tail end of the fish and pull the fish between two inclined guide bars 8 towards the head cutters 3. When pulling'the fish through the machine the pincers are maintained closed by a guide bar 88 that extends longitudinally of the machine. The guide bars 8 are located at opposite sides of the path of movement of the fish and converge in the fish feeding direction.

They are each adiustably mounted on an arm 8. so that their angular positions can be adjusted a vertical plane. The arms I are each secured to a pin II, which is pivotally Journalled in the machine frame Ill. To the rear ends of the arms 8 are secured tension springs I! attached to the machine frame and tending to move the bars 8 towards each other, which movement is limited by abutments It. The guide bars 8 incline in the fish feeding direction, and their rear edges M are adapted to catch the fish behind the gill bones, the fish being advanced between the bars 8 on moving said bars apart against yielding resistance. Said rear edges llof the guide bars 8 are in the embodiment as illustrated adjusted into substantially the same vertical angular position as the cutters 8. Below the guide bars 8 two supporting plates 48 are pivotally journalled and held in horizontal position by tension springs l8. The heads of fish pulled forwards between the guide bars I are by said bars deviated downwardly (Fig. 7) and force the supporting plates 48' downwardly against the yielding resistance offered by the springs I 8.

Thecutters 8 are arranged at opposite sides of the path of movement of the fish and revolve continuously in opposite directions (Fig. 2), so

that they tend to still more depress the head of the fish bent down by the guide bars 8. The cutters 3 for decapitating the fish perform a cut the direction of which is defined by the vertical angular positions of the cutters and guide bars. Preferably, the cut is oblique, so that the coronal bones as well as the valueless throat of the fish are severed from the body of the fish. The deviatiori of the head of the fish is limited by an inclined plate 15, which is also adapted to erect the fish, i. e., straighten same, after having been decapitated. Thereby the fish is pulled between two guide bars 82 and further between two pivoted plates I6,,which on their inner sides have inclined flutes l1, which guide the body of the fish downwards against a downwardly yielding plate 18. The plates I are secured to pins 20 that are turnably journalled in the machine frame. Rollers 2| are loosely joumalled on the outer sides of. the plates l8 and engage oblique guides 22 on the plate I 8. The plate I8 is pivotalLv mounted on a pin 28 and provided with an arm 50, which by means of a spring 24 is pulled down, whereby the rollers ii are forced inwardly and move against a yielding resistance the guide plates I8 towards each other.

Immediately behind the guide plates I8 two horizontal circular cutters 28 are arranged, which revolve in opposite directions (Fig. 2). when afish is pulled between the plates l8 and has been bent down somewhat by the flutes i! the cutters 28 cut a strip out of the belly of the fish,

which is opened thereby. On its continued forward movement the fish is moved over a revolving brush 8|, which in a direction against the head end of the fish (Fig. 1) cleans the abdominal cavity of the latter.

The shaft 88 drives by means of gear wheels 8|,'

82, 88 and 84 another shaft 88, to which the other circular cutter 28 is secured. The chain 28 drives a sprocket l2 keyed to a rotary shaft 18, to which is secured the brush 8|. Furthermore, the chain 28 runs over an adjustable tension sprocket I4 and drives a sprocket 18 secured to the shaft 28. The shaft 84 of the sprocket 14 is adjustable in a vertical slot 88 of the machine frame. To the shaft 28 are keyed two bevel gears 88 (one of which is shown in Fig. 1), directed against each other and each meshing with a beve1 gear 82. The two bevel gears 82 are each keyed to a shaft 8|, and to each of the shafts 8| is secured one of the circular cutters 8. The shaft 28 as well as the shafts 8| are joumalled in arms 88, which are pivotally mounted each on a shaft 84. One of the two arms 38 has a head 88 provided with an arcuate slot 88 through which projects a set screw 82 for adjusting the angular position of the shaft 28 and thereby also that of the cutters 3. The driving shaft 28 drives by means of gearing l8, 11 a. shaft 81, which by means of sprockets l8, l8 and a chain 88 drives a shaft 8|, to which is secured a sprocket 82. The conveyor 8 runs over this sprocket and over a sprocket 88, secured to a rotatably journalled shaft 84. A sprocket 88 secured to the shaft 84 drives by means of a chain 88 a sprocket 88, which is secured to a rotatably journalled shaft 48, which by means of bevel gears 48 drives another shaft 4|, to which is secured a sprocket 81 for driving the conveyor 2.

In theoperation of the machine, the fish are successively seized at their tail ends by the pincers 8 and pulled longitudinally through the guide 4 and further between the guide bars 8. The fish behind their gill bones engage the guide bars 8 and are deviated downwardly against the revolving cutters 8 (Fig. 7). By the cutters 8 the head of the fish is cut off at the desired angle, but due to the gap between the cutters 8 the tough intestine is left uncut. Thereby the intestine will remain attached to the head of the fish, and when the body of the fish is moved further between the guide bars 42 the head of the fish together with the intestine are arrested by the cutters, so that the intestine is torn off the body of the fish. The head of the fish together with the intestine will then drop into a receptacle (not shown).' The decapitated fish is moved further over the cutters 28, which open the body of the fish, whereafter the fish on its continued movement over the brush 8| is cleaned interiorly by the latter. At the right-hand end I claim:

1. The method of dressing fish, consisting in pulling the fish by their tail ends longitudinally and temporarily deviating the head of the fish against cutting means to decapitate the fish in transit.

2. The method of dressing fish, consisting in pulling the fish by their tail ends longitudinally and temporarily deviating the head of the fish against cutting means to decapitate the fish in transit, leaving its intestine uncut. and retaining the cut head of the fish to detach the intestine from the body of the fish when continuing its longitudinal movement.

3. The method of dressing fish, consisting in pulling the fish by their tail ends longitudinally and temporarily deviating the head of the fish against cutting means to decapitate the fish in transit, and cutting away a strip of the belly of the fish in transit on its further longitudinal movement from the cutting means.

4. In a device for dressing fish, a cutter, means for seizing the fish by their tail ends and conveying the fish longitudinally, and guide means for deviating the head end of the advancing fish against said cutter to decapitate the fish in transit.

5. In a device for dressing fish, a cutter, a conveyor having means for seizing the fish by their tail ends and conveying the fish longitudinally, a pair of guide bars directed obliquely to the path of movement of the fish and adapted to deviate the fish when pulled by said conveyor between said guide bars and guide the head end of the fish against said cutter for decapitating the fish in transit.

6. In a device for dressing fish, a conveyor having means for seizing the fish by their tail ends and conveying the fish longitudinally, a pair of cutters arranged at opposite sides of the path of movement of the fish and being directed obliquely thereto, and guide means directed obliquely to said path of movement and substantially in the same direction as said cutters, said guide means. being adapted to deviate the heads of the fish against said cutters to decapitate the fish in transit.

7. In a device for dressing fish, a pair of cooperating cutters, means for seizing the fish by their tail ends and conveying the fish longitudinally, guide means for deviating the head end of the advancin fish against said cutters to decapitate the fish in transit, a gap being left between the cutting edges of said cutters to obviate cutting of the intestine and to allow same to enter said gap while the cut head of the fish is retained by said cutters.

8. In a device for dressing fish, a cutter, means for seizing the fish by their tail ends and conveying the fish longitudinally, and guide means for deviating the head end of the advancing fish against said cutter to decapitate the fish in transit, said guide means consisting of a pair of bars that are arranged at opposite sides of the path of movement of the fish and directed obliquely to said path of movement.

9. In a device for dressing fish, a cutter, means for seizing the fish by their tail ends and conveying the fish longitudinally, and guide means of the machine (Fig. 1) the pincers 8 is released for deviating the head end of the advancing fish against said cutter to decapitate the fish in transit, said guide means comprising a plate for yieldingly supporting the head of the fish, when being deviated against said cutter.

10. In a device for dressing fish, a cutter,

means for seizing the fish by their tail ends and conveying the fish longitudinally, guide means for deviating the head end of the advancing fish against said cutter to decapitate the fish in transit, and guide means for straightening the fish when leaving the cutter.

11. In a device for dressing fish, a cutter,

means for seizing the fish by their tail ends and conveying the fish longitudinally, guide means for deviating the head end of the advancing fish against said cutter to decapitate the fish in transit,.and means for peeling off a strip of the belly of the fish when leaving said cutter.

PAUL DANIELSSON. 

